Mr Al Fayed arrived at court to be met by a swarm of reporters and camera crews from around the world. They moved in a pack down the pavement towards the entrance.

The Harrods owner paused to tell them that now there was a jury looking at the case he hoped to get justice for Diana and Dodi whom he says were killed by MI6 on the orders of the Royal Family.

He then strode into the court pursued by yet more journalists, a select band of whom sit in the court, clutching a gold pass.

The BBC, Sky, ITN, CBS News and many others, including the Shropshire Star, squeeze into the press box, but such is the worldwide demand that in the courtyard of this historic yellowstone building there now sits a marquee.

'Pap rats'

The marquee is home to all those reporters not deemed worthy of the gold card.

It is the size of two tennis courts and along one wall there is a bank of screens. One shows live shots of the coroner, another the documents and photographs of the case.

The third screen carries a live text update of what is being said, which occasionally throws up some interesting spelling mistakes - the paparazzi become the "pap rats" at one point.

The reporters here are separated by a narrow partition from members of the public.

Surrounded by rows of empty chairs sit just three people although there is room for 150.

Back in the courtroom, Lord Justice Baker tells the jury it is not their job to apportion blame.

Instead, they are to decide four things: who died, where, when, and most significantly, how.

He also warns them: "You will be in the public eye as no inquest jury has ever been before."